You see a lot of difference in bringing gender training into the school. One difference that we notice is in how people talk. [...] Putting this problem that is also social, that we have of machismo, homophobia, racism. The school within the settlement is a very large training process. We are accustomed to having a worldview, to receiving the accumulated information that people have from their parents. When you get to school, you face this gender discussion, you get scared at first. But over the course of days, months, and years you learn what machismo is, what is racism, then, homophobia and more, right? We cannot hear a country music that is macho, homophobic, that puts the woman down there. For example: "kneel and cry" by Michel Teló. 'She kneels and cries the more we hit the more she adores'. And we listened a long time, we danced, it was "wonderful". I need to put this here people, I was very prejudiced, but the school helped me to develop in this process. After you learn that prejudice, homophobia is an old fashion; and what I am more impressed is that I listened to those songs, I sang those songs, I taught others to sing those songs and today I cannot.

 

Secondary school student’s testimony.

Contestado Rural State School – Lapa – Paraná.

Seminar: November 24-26, 2016.

© Landless Voices II